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Football's greatest hits
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Arsenal's summer signing has proved a hit with
the ladies (¿Getty Images)
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Music and football. They go together like Chris Waddle and
Glenn Hoddle. Or the 1994 German FIFA World Cup squad and the Village
People. OK, the two are not always in tune, but sometimes these twin worlds
can come together in perfect harmony, as this second compilation of stories
from the weekly Off the Ball column in the uefa.com Magazine show.
Baptista in Formby
When Arsenal FC signed Julio Baptista from Real Madrid CF, they did not
only get a Brazilian midfielder of rare quality, but also a dexterous
ukulele player on a par with popular English 1940s entertainer George
Formby. Though Baptista does not favour the exact banjolele model strummed
by the Wigan-born star of such films as He Snoops To Conquer and Turned
Out Nice Again, he has performed in equally exulted company. "I play
the cavaquinho - a Portuguese ukulele," Baptista said. "I've
always loved music. I learn tunes and use music for relaxing. Gilberto
plays the mandolin, so I think I'll end up jamming together with him.
This used to happen with the Brazilians in Madrid. I'd pick up the cavaquinho
then Roberto Carlos and Robinho would pitch up."
Rock and bread rolls
Across London, however, the grim spectre of karaoke has taken hold at
Chelsea FC, as Joe Cole revealed when Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack
signed.. "Every new signing has to sing a song," Cole said.
"It's horrible, it's nerve-racking. When I joined the club I had
to sit there and sing in front of players like Marcel Desailly, Juan Veron
and Hernan Crespo. And when the lads have had enough, they throw bread
rolls and stuff like that. That's the tradition here. It's far more scary
than actually making your debut for the club." Leading musicologist
Jose Mourinho had this to say after Ballack's effort: "He sang a
fantastic song. I've no idea what it was because I don't understand a
lot of German but it was a German song with a lot of rhythm."
Losing the Fred
FC Barcelona's Ludovic Giuly would be well advised to turn down any moves
to Stamford Bridge if stepping into the shoes of a musical hero is a prerequisite.
Giuly - nicknamed Freddie Mercury by his team-mates due to an alleged
resemblance to the late Queen frontman, who of course had a hit entitled
Barcelona - promised during an interview for Canal Barca TV that if they
won the UEFA Champions League final, he would grow a Mercury-style moustache
for a month. However, after Arsenal were duly dispatched 2-1, Giuly's
promise turned out to be slightly hollow. "I won't grow a moustache
because I look horrible," he insisted.
Don't let me entertain you
More established in the impersonating Freddie Mercury business is Robbie
Williams, noted also for football links which include investing in his
hometown club Port Vale FC. However, his soccer-loving reputation took
a knock this year. First Scotland had to move their opening UEFA EURO
2008T qualifier against the Faroe Islands from Hampden Park as the ex-Take
That singer had already booked the national stadium for two concerts.
Then he snubbed an offer from FC Bayern Munchen to join them in training
made in return for an invation to the whole squad to attend a gig. "Evidently
he was afraid in the end to come out and practice with us," Bayern
coach Felix Magath said. "Maybe he heard from someone that the coach
in Munich is a bit tough. He then perhaps decided: 'No, that's a bit much
for me. I want to be able to finish my concert tour in one piece.'"
By Paul Saffer from London. UEFA.com,
27 December 2006
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